Fuel cell systems are increasingly used as a power source in a wide variety of applications. Fuel cell propulsion systems have also been proposed for use in vehicles as a replacement for internal combustion engines. The fuel cells generate electricity that is used to charge batteries and/or to power an electric motor. A solid-polymer-electrolyte fuel cell includes a membrane that is sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, referred to as an MEA or membrane electrode assembly. MEA's are sandwiched between conductive separator plates. To produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction, a fuel, commonly hydrogen (H2), but also either methane (CH4) or methanol (CH3OH), is supplied to the anode and an oxidant, such as oxygen (O2) is supplied to the cathode. The source of the oxygen is commonly air.
Measuring electronics are implemented to monitor the performance of the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack. More specifically, the measuring electronics can monitor operating parameters including, but not limited to, individual fuel cell voltage, individual fuel cell current, stack voltage and stack current. The fuel cell stack can be controlled based on the operating parameters.
Traditional connection methods between the measuring electronics and the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack retain specific disadvantages. One disadvantage is the tradition connection methods can not account for variations in fuel cell widths, which are compounded when aligning adjacent fuel cells in a fuel cell stack. As a result, traditional connection methods fail to provide an electrical connection between each of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack and the measuring electronics.